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Thursday, June 24, 2010

We came a long way from all over the world, well, mostly Indonesia, an ever developing (who knows until when) country down between Indian Ocean and the Pacific. If you used to know South East Asia you will come to know us more easily, but if you still need a clue, we have that surfer's paradise people called Bali.

Nope, we don't surf, of course, but we roam on the nasty streets with hardy living. Got poisoned, ran over by car, left to die, forced to breed, dumped like trash, caged in zoos, circuses, or perform spectacular jump from a tiny tank in exchange of our vast ocean we called home.

We know no such thing as "freedom" and "life" It's humans brag o nonsense.

That is, until some weirdo passed by with her bike and while we are ready to accept just another kick or slap (we don't think we did anything wrong but that happened all the time *sigh*), she instead extend her hand, smile, and said one or two words before scooping us and throw us in her canvas bag, along with... well... pencils, books, shreds of what she called "bills", and... something that rings some tune once and a while that she called "cellphone".

Most of our friend got scooped before and never returned, so we thought we're history, but a few bumps and a couple of times later, she saw us into a small room, with a bed, some clothing, and a lot of other of our kind. Some we know, most not.

If we're lucky, one of us or two will meet their long-lost siblings.

It's no heaven, really. We have to share one bed at night, and queue to use the litter box. We can't play in the green field, what we got is a red, hot (at midday), endless roof outside her room window, but at least the air is nice, and we can scratch wherever we like or run and play as we please. We got our own plate, yes, but the food is definitely not premium grade. It's more than certainly edible, though, compared to those we used to pick up from the trash.

And we've got a lotta love.

The girl will pick us up, put us on their lap, and wash us clean from those irritable manges. She force us to swallow a pill or some dark liquid that tastes some hint of chicken that will make our stomachs go awful the whole day and drop lousy numbers of worms (yuck), but yeah... we'll then be as good as new.

Every once and then she'll ride us to that group of young people who would never let us go before they successfully sting us with their needles, but after some time you can see that some of our sickly neighbors will get better, though some don't. And when that happened, that weirdo girl will sit silent by the edge of the bed, cradling the fallen in her arm and shed tears (yes, we're sure she shed tears, not fur).

Occasionally, she'd told us I have always dream of running a shelter, just like grandpa used to have, but I'd never thought that I'd have one now while I am in tight money. Are you guys sure you're all right living poor way like this? I only have one room though... aah, we don't answer that, but we just stay there. One room is better than no room, meh.

At the other time she'd company us eat (she eat her own food, those eaten by rabbits, we eat our own share), and mumbles something like You guys are no different with a band of mafia when you eat.... you practically raid you plate.